Electrical harnesses are often used to distribute signals and power to various components of a vehicle, such as to the various components in and around a gas turbine engine on an aircraft, to and from electrical components on an aircraft landing gear, or to and from electrical components on an automotive vehicle. Electrical power and signals to and from the individual electrical components are commonly transmitted along conductive wires. Such conductors may be in the form of wires and/or cables which may be assembled together in a harness. The connections between the individual components and the harness can be made, for example, by a multi-pin plug and/or socket connectors.
To protect a wire harness from coming into contact with hot surfaces, or with sharp edges, which combined with vibration may result in chafing and other forms of wear, a wire harness is typically supported by multiple brackets, clamps and clips. These brackets, clamps and clips are conventional hardware which are attached to a structure and in turn support or suspend the wire harness away from surfaces and components. Because wire harnesses are flexible, support is typically needed at close intervals along the length of the harness to prevent the harness from sagging and coming into contact with a surface. For aerospace components, where failure of a wire harness could result in a catastrophic failure, strict regulations dictate the maximum allowable intervals between a supportive bracket or clamp. These brackets or clamps each add incremental weight to the wire harness system, which in an aircraft reduces efficiency and increases expensive fuel burn. Also, the requirement for brackets or clamps at short intervals along a wire harness can dictate the path of a wire harness between components. The path of the harness must be adjacent to mounting structures where brackets and clamps can be mounted. Sometimes the most practical and suitable path for the harness is a path adjacent to appropriate mounting structures, but may not be the most efficient or direct path. Thus, the need for supportive brackets and clamps at regular, short intervals may make a run of wire harness longer than would otherwise be necessary and add additional weight.
To further protect the wires and cables a typical harness will also include various layers of thermal and electromagnetic insulation and overbraid protection (e.g., a polyether ether ketone (“PEEK”) overbraid layer) to help protect the harness from chafing, high temperatures, electromagnetic interference, etc. These layers of insulation and protection also add additional weight to the wire harness system.